Kamran Ghulam scored an impressive hundred against England on his debut as Pakistan closed on 259-5 on the first day of the second Test in Multan on Tuesday.
Ghulam seemed an unlikely tormentor of England – just four months ago, he completed a low-key stint as overseas professional playing for Hoylandswaine Cricket Club in Barnsley in the Huddersfield League.
The 29-year-old, drafted into the Pakistan side after the axing of Babar Azam, hit 118 to help steady the ship for the hosts after they had been reduced to 19-2.
The home side were in trouble when he came to the crease after left-arm spinner Jack Leach had clean bowled opener Abdullah Shafique with one that turned and then accounted for Shan Masood after a sharp catch by Zak Crawley at short midwicket.
In a composed knock that included 11 fours and a six, Ghulam shared a third-wicket stand of 149 with Saim Ayub, who scored 77.
Ghulam then put on 65 runs with Mohammad Rizwan – who had moved to 37 at stumps – before being bowled by Shoaib Bashir. Salman Agha then joined Rizwan and was unbeaten on five at the close of play.
“You can see the pitch was slow and turning, double-paced with the fast bowlers,” said Ayub.
“Some balls were keeping low so it was difficult to bat, you have to keep watching until the end. Every single run is important in those conditions.”
Earlier, Pakistan captain Masood had won the toss but was soon regretting his decision to bat first.
After five overs of seam bowling, England captain Ben Stokes opted for spin from both ends and the decision paid off immediately.
Leach beat Shafique's tentative prod and uprooted the off stump to dismiss the opener for seven.
In his next over, the left-armer dismissed Shan for three, getting the Pakistan skipper to flick a delivery from outside the off stump into the hand of Crawley.
Kamran showed no nerves though as he stepped out against Leach hitting the spinner over his head for a big six.
He and Saim returned after the lunch break to consolidate Pakistan's position and Kamran took a single off Bashir to bring up his maiden Test fifty.
Keen to break the stand, Stokes brought himself on and proved quite a handful with his swing and awkward bounce though a wicket eluded the seamer.
Stokes maintained an attacking field, however, and Saim eventually fell into the trap, pushing a ball from Matthew Potts straight into the hand of the England captain at short mid-off.
Kamran got a lifeline on 79 when Ben Duckett spilt a catch at mid-on and the batter went on to bring up his hundred with a four off Joe Root.
Off-spinner Bashir ended Kamran's fine knock when the off-spinner lured out the batter, beat him with turn and knocked back the leg stump.
“We created a lot of chances over the course of the day,” said Potts. “The boys stuck at it and we are pleased where we are with it now.
“It appeared to be flatter than we expected. The game is in the balance, a couple of early ones in the morning and we will see what it is.”
England were boosted by the return of Stokes, who missed their comprehensive victory in the opening Test at the same venue to complete his recovery from a hamstring injury.
Stunned by the heavy defeat, Pakistan dropped Babar as well as front-line pacers Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah.
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What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
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Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
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Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HyveGeo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abdulaziz%20bin%20Redha%2C%20Dr%20Samsurin%20Welch%2C%20Eva%20Morales%20and%20Dr%20Harjit%20Singh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECambridge%20and%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESustainability%20%26amp%3B%20Environment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%20plus%20undisclosed%20grant%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVenture%20capital%20and%20government%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The five pillars of Islam
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
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